Hanwha Q Cells Japan not worried by Kyocera lawsuit

Jul 21, 2014 - Hanwha Q Cells Japan Co Ltd said on Friday its products will not be affected by the recently-filed lawsuit against the company for infringement of a solar technology patent held by Kyocera Corp (TYO:6971).

Earlier this month, Japanese electronics firm Kyocera initiated a lawsuit in Tokyo District Court against the local unit of Germany-based Hanwha Q Cells in relation to technology that boosts solar module efficiency, patented by Kyocera in March 2012. More specifically, Japanese patent 4953562 protects the company’s three-bus-bar electrode structure.

Kyocera said at the time it went to court after it could not reach any progress in "extensive" negotiations with Hanwha Q Cells' unit. In its own statement, the latter said that the particular technology has been available to the public via research papers since the 1990s. This was before Kyocera applied for patent.

Germany-based Hanwha Q Cells has been operating as a subsidiary of South Korea's conglomerate Hanwha Group since the autumn of 2012. The company's predecessor was solar panel maker Q-Cells SE, which filed for insolvency earlier in 2012.

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